Clutch.



1L. J. CAMPBELL. CLUTCH.

APPLIUATIN FILED APR. 27. 1912.

1,048,036, Patented DeC..24,1912.V

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. lJ. CAMPBELL.

. CLUTCH. APPLICATLON PILLD 111mm. 1912 Patented 1130.211912.

g unirse sfrarns PATENT orricn LEON J'. CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 JAMES T. HEALY, TRUSTEE,

- or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.l

CLUTCH.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application le'd April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,549.

Patented Deo. 24, 1912.

, To all whomi'it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON J. CAMrBnLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches; and I do hereby declare that the `following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked `detail one of the preferred forms of my inthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates-to a device in the nature of a clutch particularly adapted for transmission gearing and has for one of its primary objects to provide an improved mechanism for locking or connecting a transmission gear to the transmission shaft upon which it is loosely mounted.

`A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for operating the said means for connecting or lock- 'in'g said gear to its shaft.

lThe subject-matter of the present invention is particularly applicable to that type of transmission gearing construction shown, described and claimed in my several prior 'pending applications, to wit: Serial Number 633,699, filed June 17, 1911; Serial Number 640,060, led January 23, 1911, and ASerial Number 601,509, filed January 9, 1911. In said prior applications, 1 the construction shown is such, thatthe means .for locking or connecting the transmission gear to the transmission shaft upon which it is loosely mounted embracesv a key adapted to both slide or move endwise with respect to said shaft, and to swing or rock thereon. In the device ofthe present application, the locking means embraces a -key having rocking.

movement only. v

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

.In the accompanying drawings'illustrating my inventi`on-I1`igure` 1 is a view representing a longitudinal vertical section of the several parts of a transmission gearing device constructed 1n accordance with my invention, parts thereof being shown in elevation, said section being taken in a plane indicated by the linel-l of Fig. 3*; Fig. 2 is a view representing in longitudinal section,

similar parts, taken in a plane indicated by, theline 2 2 of Fig. 3; Fig.` 3 isan enlarged,

transverse, vertical section, taken in a plane indicated vby the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

lFig. i is a similar section taken in a plane vention, A indicates a shaft, which maybe either a driving or driven shaft, having loosely mounted thereon a gear wheel B, or other power transmitting wheel'or member, 70 which is adapted to be locked or connected to the said shaft A, by my improvedlocking rmechanism, to be hereinafter described. As

shown in the drawings, said gear wheel B isl mounted-on the shaft A adjacent to its 75 outer end. In that type of transmission gearing construction set forth in my hereinbefore referred to pendingl applications,

parts corresponding with said shaft A and said gear wheel B, constitute the power/80' transmission shaftA and gear Wheel, re.- spectively.'`

The gear wheel B is held from longitudi nal movement on the shaft A by means et" bearing collarsor` rings C, C', between 85 .which the hub b of the said gear wheel fils adapted to rotate. Said collars C, C have bearing engagement against the opposite sides of the hub b of said gear wheel Bl' (See Figs. 1 and 2.) `The bearing cfollar`s90 C, C are each provided with circumferentially spaced laterally extending segmental y webs or flanges c, c in alineinent with the bores thereof and adapted to fit-within simi; lar spaced and shaped longitudinally exi 9.5 tending recesses a, a (four being shown the drawings)` formed in the part of the` shaft A embraced by the hub 6 of the gear wheel B and openingthrough the outer end thereof. By means of this construction, the bearing collarsC, C are held from rotation on the shaft A. As shown in the drawings, especially in Fig. 2 thereof, the flanges or webs c, c abut against each other at their meeting ends and are held in such engagement by a clamp nut D applied to the reduced, screw-threaded outer end a2 of said shaft A, said nut being provided with an outwardly extending radial, annular fiange d adapted to bear against the outer face of `11,0`

the bearing collar C. The inner ends of said recesses a, a form shoulders as, at, against which abuts that part 4of the outer facevo the bearing collar C', vwhich is in alinement with the anges or webs o thereof. This limits the movement of the bearing collar C on the shaft A under the-,clamping force of the nut D. The flanges or webs c, c hold t-hebearing collars C, C apart and prevent the same from binding against the hub b of the gear wheel B under the clamping force of the said nut D. As shown in the drawings, the outer surfaces of the ianges or webs c, o are' flushV with'the circumferential surface of the shaft A.

Formed in the bore of the gear wheel B is an annular recess E, extending longitudinally of the hub b, and opening through that face of the hub against which the inner-4 most colla-r C has bearing engagement. Said collar C closes the open endv of the said annular recess E. Said gear wheelB is 4provided with internal teeth or projections e forming longitudinally extending, locking shoulders e', e? on the wheel. Said teeth e extend the full length of said recess E, and the opposite fiat faces of each tooth, which form the shoulders e e2, converge inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said shaft. As shown in the drawings, said` faces e', e2 are arranged at an acute angle to a plane passing centrally and longitudinally through each tooth e. i ISaid internal teeth e are spaced circumferentially at equal distances apart, and are adapted .to be' engaged by my improved locking device to be presently referred to.

F, F indicate longitudinally extending, parallel key seats or grooves (four being shown in the drawings, see Figs. 3 and 4), formed in the shaft A between the recesses la a said ke "seats bein concave and semibearing collar C. All of the key seats F, F

terminate at their inner ends 1n the same transverse vertical plane and form shoulders f, f', against which abut the inner ends of the locking keys, which constitute a part of my im roved locking mechanism.

G, G indicate lockin keys, one for each key seat F, F, mounte to rock or oscillate in said key seats, and extending throughout substantially thefull length thereof. Two sets-of key seats F and F, and two sets of keys G andG are employed, in order that the device may be double-acting or lock the ar wheel from turning in bot-h directions on the shaft, as hereinafter more fully set forth. The inner or bearing face g, g of each of said locking keys G, G is rounded or formed on an are `of a circle complementary to the said key seats F, F, so as topermit the said locking keys to rock freely inftheir seats. A portion of the outer or upper surface g2, g3 ofsaid locking keys G, G, which lies directly beneath the bearing collar C and the adjacent part of the Vhub of the gear wheel B, and a ortion g4, g5

ocking keys of the same `surface of the which lies directly beneath the bearing col-v lar C is cut awa sothat these parts of the locking keys wil notprojecbbeyond the outer cylindric surface of the shaft infany position of the said locking keys. 'That portion of the locking-keys between the cut away portions g2, g3, g4, g5, is shaped to form locking bits or lugs H, H, which are curved transversely on their'outer faces in the same arc as the circumference of the shaft, so that whenv the locking keys are rocked in one direction in their seats by the means to be hereinafter described, to bring the locking lugs H, H into their retracted or non-operative positions, said lugs willbe flush with vthe .outer surface of the shaft. When the said locking lugs are in this position, the gear wheel B will turn freely on the shaft. Said lugs H, H are of a length toenter the recess E, and when the locking keysare rocked in their seats in a direction to swing the lugs H, H outwardly beyond the c lindric surface of the shaft, each of said ugs will be brought into position to engage and abut against one of the internal teeth\ e of said gear wheel B, thereby locking said gear wheel to the shaft. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, that part of each locking l-ug H or H which contacts with one of the internal teeth e is provided with a flat face or surface 7L, h complementary to the face `c or e2, with which it contacts. By reason of this construction, when either locking lug H or H is in its locking position, withits surface L or h in contact with one of the faces c, e2 of one of the teeth e, the

center of the shaft and the center of rotation of the locking key, and in a direction to press the opposite curved surfaceor side of the lug against the concave surface of the key seat F or F, with which said opposite side is in contact, -as set forth in my prior application, Serial No. 601,509, filed January 9th, 1911, hereinbefore referred to.

As shown in the drawings, that portion of each locking key G, G beyond the innermost bearing collar C is provided with two .longi tudinally spaced, radially rejecting lugs J, J', K, K', the former being adjacent to the cut away portion g2 or (73 of said llocking key and upon the same side as the locking lug H or H', while the latter is adjacent the inner end of said locking keys and upon the opposite side of the two first-mentioned lugs. The opposed'or adjacent corners of the said angle to the length ofthe: locking key to form oppositely inclinedcam surfaces j, j',

76,]0, the former extending toward the outer end of the locking key while the latter eX- tends in an opposite direction thereto. 4 In other words, each cam surface la or c extends in a direction toward the inner end of its respective locking key.

L indicates a retaining ring or collar monnted on the shaft A adjacent to the inner ends of the key seats F F andA rigidly secured to said shaft by'machine screws Z. Said collar L is provided at its inner end adjacent to the inner ends of said keyv seats, with an outwardlyextending radial annular flange Z, in the inner face of which is formed semi.-`- circular recesses or concave sockets Z2 adapted in connection with the said inner ends of the key seats to receive the cylindric or circular parts M, .M formed upon the inner end of each of the looking keys G, G. (See Figs. l, 4 and Each of said parts M, M. is concentric with the longitudinal axis of its locking key. f' As shownin the drawings,

there are four of said concave socketsZz, one for each locking key. s By reason of the constructionabovedescribed, the inner ends of the locking keys G, G are held closely in their respective key seats F, F, and the con,- cave sockets Z2, with said Akey seats, form bearings for the circular parts M, M, dur

' ing the rocking movement or oscillation of the keys.

The locking keys G, G are rocked or oscillat'ed in either direction to bring'the locking lugs H, H int-o 'andoutof engagement vwith the internal teeth or shoulders e of the gear wheel B by the action of an endwise slidable ring or collar N, mounted on the shaft A. Said ring or collar N is located between the bearing collar C and the key retaining ring L, and is grooved for the reception of the ends of a shifting yoke (not shown) forming part of a manually operable shifting de.- vice, which may be of any usual or preferred construction. By sliding the said collar N on the shaft A in either longitudinal direction, said collar will be brought into contact with and will act upon the beveled or cam faces y', j orlo, c on the lugs J, J or K, K, and thereby effect the turning or rocking of the keys in one direction or the other to advance or retract the locking lugs H and H. The outer or bearing surfaces of the lugs J, J and K. K are curved trans-` 'contact of said collar with said surfaces will hold the keys from turning when at either 'limit'of their rocking or 'oscillating movement. A

' As shownin the drawings, especially in Figs. 3 and 4 thereof, there are four key seats and four locking keys, one for each key seat, two of which are diametrically opposed to each other, and constitute one set ofk seats F and keys G, while the remaining two are other and constitute the other of said sets of seats F and keys G. The locking bits or lugs H on the first set of keys G are oppo-sitely disposed with respect to the lugs H of the second'set of keys G, or in other words, are provided with holding or contact faces adapted to act in opposite directions Acircumferentially of the shaft.

From the above, it will be noted, that the locking lugs or bits H, H, as well asthe lugs J, J and K, K of the respective keys of each set are reversely arranged or are rights and lefts. By reason of this construction and arrangement of the keys, the same are' double-acting, that is, the locking lugs H or'H of one set lock t-he gear wheel B to the shaft. A against rotation in one direction while thel'ocking lugs or bits H or H of the other set of keys lock the said gear wheel'to the shaft against rotation in the'opposite direction.

vThe operation of my transmission gearing is as follows: VVhen the'parts of my dey vice are in theposition shown in 4the sev eral figures of the drawings, the gear wheel B is locked or connected to the shaft A by the locking lugs H, H of the locking keys G G', having their engaging corners or flatsii'nilarly arranged with respect to each faces L, I2. in engagement with one'of the correspondingly flat faces e', e2 of the internal teeth or shouldersc of the said gear wheel. As shown in Fig. 3, thelocking lugs H, H on the diametrically-opposed locking' keys are reversely arranged or are oppositely disposed with respect to each other. In other -words, the engaging edgesor corners 7L, 71,', of each of the diametrically opposed locking keys are on opposite sides of a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the said locking keys.v By reason of this arrangement, the locking lugs H, on one set of dia-l metrically lopposed locking keys, engage -two of the internal teeth e of the gear wheel B, on the faces e thereof, facing the direct-ion of rotation of the said shaft A, while the locking lugs H, of the remaining two locking keys, engage twolother of the said teeth e, on their faces e2, directed against the ro tation of said shaft. It follows, therefore, that two of the locking lugs afford driving connection of the said gear wheel with the shaft, while the remaining two locking lugs prevent any back lash or turning of the said gear wheel yon the shaft in a direction contrary to the direction of rotation of the said shaft. The said locking keys G, G are held with their locking lugs H, H in lockingpositiomby the sliding collar N, bearinguon the convex bearing surfaces of the lugs K, K of the locking keys. (See Flg. 1.) When the collar N is in this position, the lugs K, K are held down, and the locking keys are prevented from turning in their key seats. The opposite lugs J, J" at this time project above the surface of the shaft in the path of movementl of said collar N.

By sliding the collar N fromV its position shown in the drawings, longitudinally of the shaft A in a direction toward the outer end thereof, or, in other words, toward the bear.- ing collar C', said collar N will come into Contact with the beveled or cam faces y', 7" on the lugs J, J of the locking keys. A continued endwise movement of said collar N will carrythe same over said cam faces j, y" and rotateor rock the locking keys in their key Vseats in an opposite direction. This withdraws the locking lugs I-I, H out of the recess E of the gear wheel B and from engagementwith the internal teethe thereof. Said collar 'N then' acts onthe lugs J, J to retain or hold'the lockingkeys in posi- -tion with their locking lugs retracted or out of engagement 'with the gear wheel. When the collar N covers the lugs J J f of the locking keys, the lugs K, K project outside of the surface of the sh'aft. Y

The sliding collar N is of such a width that if. Win E@ clear of the lugs K, K' before it acts upon the lugs J, J This is also true when the said collar N is moved or shifted in an opposite direction to rockthe said locking keys and cause their locking lugs to lock or connect the said gear wheel B to the shaft. Manifestly, to provide for such an operation, the lugs J, J K, Ir are spaced -apart longitudinally a distance s ightly greater than the width of the sliding Follar N. 1

'It is obvious from the above description of myfinvention, that should the shaft A be used as a`v drivin gshaft, the gear wheel B when locked or connected to the same by the locking lugs, will transmit power from said shaft to a driven shaft, to which the said gear Wheel may b'e connected by an interineshing gear, or a train'of differential gearing. Upon the other hand, should the shaft A be used as adriven shaft, the said gear wheel B,when locked or connected to the said shaft, Will transmit power to the same from the driving shaft. In either of the abovementioned cases, the action ofthe locking keys is the samegsaid keys having rocking movement only with respect to the shaft.

In applying my improved locking mechanism to that type of transmission gearing construction set forth in my above-referred to pending applications, in which a number of selective gears are 'loosely mounted on the transmission shaft, a set of locking keys eX- tending longitudinally of the shaft, will be departingfrom the spirit of my invention, v

and I do not wish to be limited to the same except in so far `as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my inventionl. A clutch, comprising a shaft, a rotative member mounted on the shaft and provided with an internal locking shoulder, a rocking key extending longitudinally of the shaft and provided with a lug adapted to engage said shoulder, and means movable in a direction endwise of the said shaft and acting on the key to rock the lug 'into and out of position for engagement with said shoulder and to hold or lock the lug'positively in both its engaged and disengaged positions.

2. A clutch, comprising a shaft, a rotative member mounted on said shaft and providedwith an internal locking shoulder, a rocking key extending longitudinally of the shaft and provided with a lug adapted to engage said shoulder, said key being provided with two radial projections provided with cam surfaces, and means acting on said cam lsurfaces to rock the key in opposite directions.

3. A clutch,I comprising a shaft, a rotative member mounted on said shaft and provided with an internal locking shoulder, a rocking key extending longitudinally of the shaft and provided with a lug adaptedto engage said shoulder, said key being provided with oppositely inclined cam surfaces, and a manually operable member movable endwise of the shaft and adapted -to act on said cam surfaces to rotate the key in opposite directions.

4. A clutch, comprising a shaft, a rotative member mounted on the said shaft and provided with an internal locking shoulder, a rocking key extending longitudinally of the shaftJ and provided with a locking lug adapted to engage said shoulder, said key being provided with two radial projections having oppositely inclined cam surfaces and a ring mounted to slide endwise in the shaft and adapted to engage said cam surfaces for,

a concave keyvvay. extending longitudinally thereof, a rotative member mounted on the shaft and provided with an internal locking shoulder, a. keyseated in said keyway and provided with a locking lug adapted to en-vv gage said shoulder and With two radial projections provided with oppositely inclined cam surfaces, and an endwise sliding ring on said shaft adapted for engagement with said cam surfaces to rock the key in opposite direc-tions.

6. A clutch, e'oniprising a shaft having a concave keyway extending' longitudinally thereof, a rotative member mounted on the shaft and provided with an internal looking shoulder, a key seated in said keyway and provided with a locking lug adapted to engagesaid shoulder and with tivo radial projeetions provided. with oppositely inclined cam surfaces, and an endwise. sliding ring on said shattadapted for engagement with said cam surfaces to rock the keyin oppo site directions, said key having adjacent to said projections, convex bearing surfaces adapted Yt'or Contact with the inner surface of said ring to hold the key from turning when the key is at either limit of its rocking movement. i

7. A clutch, comprising a shaft, having a eoncavekeyway extending longitudinally thereof, a rotative member mounted on the shaft and yprovided with an internal locking shoulder, a -key seated in said keyway and provided with a locking lug adapted to engage said shoulder and with two radial projections provided with oppositely inclined 'eam surfaces, and an endivise sliding ring on said shaft adapted for engagement with said cam surfaees to roek the key in opposite directions, said key having a circular part eoncentrie with its longitudinal axis of rotation, and a ring surrounding the shaft and provided with a concave socket to receive the said eireular part on the key. I

8. A-elutch comprising a shaft` a. rotative member mounted on said shaft and provided with two oppositely facing internal locking shoulders, two rocking keysextending longtudinally of the shaft and provided with reversely arranged looking lugs, and means `for giving rocking motion to mid keys,

adapted to give equal turning movement to said keys in opposite directions.

`In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as, my invention atlix my signatire in the presence of two witnessemthis 21th day of April A. D. 1919,.

LEON J. CAMPBELL.

Titnesses v Groen B. VILMNS,

AEUGENE C. WANN. 

